The best UCF scholarships consist of three full-tuition scholarships, one of which will cover your entire cost of attendance.
That’s nothing to sneeze at because the University of Central Florida has a stellar reputation both in Florida and across the country. There’s a reason why it has the largest campus in the country in terms of student enrollment!
If you want to apply to UCF, we’ve also written an article about UCF’s acceptance rate and common admissions questions, as well as another article comparing UCF and USF, which are both great schools with different strengths.
Academically, UCF is ranked 55th in the country by Washington Monthly, and it offers a diverse range of colleges and majors. UCF was founded as Florida Technological University with the goal of training students for the United States space program.
As you might expect, there was a lot of smart history involved, and it’s no surprise that success has continued to this day. UCF’s programs are frequently recognized in fields such as engineering, computer science, and graphic design. UCF’s hospitality school is perhaps their best program, ranking first in the United States and second in the world.
1. Pegasus Gold Scholarship
While there are smaller Pegasus Bronze and Silver awards, Pegasus Gold is the best Pegasus Scholarship. However, the amounts at each level can vary by academic year and even by the student, and the amounts are not posted online.
According to recent students, the award amounts for Pegasus Gold are generally around $14,000 spread over four years. That’s just under half the cost of in-state tuition.
Out-of-state students can also benefit from these scholarships, which include a Pegasus Tuition Waiver that covers the difference in tuition between in-state and out-of-state tuition. Essentially, if you are awarded a Pegasus Scholarship, you will not be required to pay out-of-state tuition.
This is a scholarship that is almost entirely based on SAT and GPA tiers, but these are not clearly marked. One reason for this is that the number of Pegasus Scholarships appears to be limited, and applying early is advantageous!
For example, there have been reports of students with similar scores receiving Pegasus Silver Scholarships while the later applicant did not even receive Bronze. These are important things to know, so apply early for this one.
2. Benacquisto Scholarship
Another excellent government program for college students in Florida. It is unclear how out-of-state students can qualify, but it is clear that they can receive the scholarship as well.
The only catch is that students must “physically reside in Florida on or near the institution’s campus where enrolled”. This most likely refers to attending and living on campus for two semesters per year.
3. First Generation Matching Grant Program and Other General Scholarships
A2O is a scholarship application system developed by the University of Central Florida that “includes a comprehensive list of UCF scholarships available to students from individual colleges, departments, and organizations”. This database contains over 100 scholarships, and you only need to fill out one application to apply to all of them!
Because of Florida’s First Generation Matching Program, many people and businesses are now offering UCF scholarships to first-generation students. In fact, the A2O database contains over 20 different scholarships that take advantage of Florida’s Girst Generation Matching Grant Program.
If you are a first-generation student, you can view the program requirements and amounts and apply in a single application.
4. Florida Bright Futures Scholarship – Florida Academic Scholars (FAS)
Bright Future is a Florida-specific program in which UCF participates as part of the Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) Program. The requirements are difficult to meet, but they are less difficult than the requirements for our top scholarship.
If you’re a Florida resident graduating from high school, it’s definitely worth looking into the Bright Futures Program’s various scholarships.
Florida Academic Scholars at the University of Central Florida receive “an award amount equal to 100% of tuition and applicable fees.” Activity and service fees, health fees, athletic fees, financial aid fees, capital improvement fees, campus access/transportation fees, technology fees, and tuition differential fees are all applicable.” This also includes all summer courses taken by students.
Although it is not a full ride because it does not include room and board, the FAS program makes paying for college a lot easier.
5. Provost Scholarship
While this appears to be a completely new scholarship, it is essentially the next level up from Pegasus Gold. Instead of covering approximately half of your tuition, it will cover the entire amount (a little more, actually).
This scholarship, like the Pegasus Scholarships, exists to “recognize outstanding academic performance.” There is no separate application, and if you apply to UCF during a summer or fall term, you will be automatically considered.
According to rumors, only 1-2% of UCF students receive this scholarship. Congratulations if you are one of those winners—you have just won a full tuition scholarship to the nation’s most popular university!